Greens air petrol sniffing funding worries

A Greens' Senator says she will use today's Senate hearing into petrol sniffing to question the Federal Government about its decision to stop funding several diversion programs.

The hearing is part of the Senate inquiry into the Greens' low aromatic fuel bill, aiming at reducing petrol sniffing.

Rachel Siewert says the funding for programs in the Kimberley in Western Australia, the APY Lands in South Australia, and in central Australia will cease at the end of the year.

She says petrol sniffing diversion programs are a critical part of solving the problem.

"They're an essential component and without that, the success we can achieve with Opal, the success won't be achieved without those diversionary programs, so I am definitely going to be following that up with the department," she said.

"We know from previous inquiries and from the evidence we've received to date from this inquiry is that diversionary programs are a very important component of preventing petrol sniffing."

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